I've been lying to you.

I actually love treadmills.  Here is why:


In other news- I actually beat Jami up the big hill on our run today!!! So it was only by about 2 feet, but a win is a win ;).

Weekly RUNdown

I am amazed at what a HUGE difference getting new shoes made.  Woah.  I was looking at my stats on garmin connect and realized my foot started hurting by the 5th run in those shoes.  Yikes!  I'm glad I figured it out and will be able to continue on with my training *hopefully* injury free.

Monday:  Cycling- 12.9 miles, 45 min (17.2 mph)
Tuesday: 6 miles, 7:42 pace.  I ended up bailing on my Yassos this week- figured it was best to take it easy on the foot for a few more days.  I had zero pain during my run, and by the afternoon any tenderness I had following the run was gone.
Thursday:  5.69 miles hills, 370 ft gain, 8:29 pace.  Jami killed me up the hills AGAIN!  I want to be like her when I grow up.  I wish I could run more so I could get better at hills.  Last year I was able to fly up them at this time.
Saturday:  18 miles, 8:40 pace.  I felt really, really good- in spite of getting up at an inhumane time- 4:45 AM.  Huge boo to early mornings. 

***If you are training for a marathon, here is a tip- break up your run into a series of smaller loops.  That is what I did this time, and it seemed so much easier!  Mentally, I didn't even feel like I ran 18 miles.  I ran 5 miles alone to start out, then picked up my friends Jami and Katie and ran 6 miles with them, and the finished with a final loop of 7 miles with Breona and Mindy.  My friends kept me going and it was always exciting when I picked up a new set of buddies- like I got to start all over.  

This run made me insanely happy for the rest of the weekend.  Around mile 15 my foot left foot started to hurt a little, so I ran on the grass and the shoulder for the rest of the time.  My feet recovered quickly though and by today I feel like my feet are 100%.  This feels like a miracle considering the problems I've been having and after such a long run like this.

Workouts were good this week.  I need to add in strength again.  I just wish I didn't hate doing it so badly.  Know what I love?  Walks with the fam.  We had a gorgeous view of Antelope Island- where Cory did his 50 miler this past weekend!

What was your favorite workout last week?  How do you handle long runs mentally during marathon training?

Red Rock Winners! and Current Fave

Happy Friday!  The winners of the Red Rock Relay contest are:

Katie: "I am already signed up for MOAB, but I want to run ZION so badly! I think that would be a BLAST! So...BOTH!!"

And...

Julia:  "MOAB. because its my all time fave place in utah and i NEED to go there again before i leaveeee!"

Please contact me via the contact form on my blog and I will get you what you need to receive your prizes!

It's gorgeous here in Utah.  You will probably see me around with my windows down, sunglasses on, and arm out the window singing along to this song.  Happy weekend everyone!

May the odds be ever in your favor.

I've got my best Katniss Everdeen face on as I head to the midnight premier of The Hunger Games.

I tried to do a full on Katniss braid, but let's face it, my hair just isn't long enough yet, so I had to pull it up in a little bun/braid invention.  It's cool.  Everyone can tell I'm Katniss by my I'm-brave-enough-to-take-Prim's-spot face that I'm sporting.

And speaking of odds....  Less than one day to enter the Red Rock Relay Giveaway!

Are you going to the premier?  If you've seen the movie- what was your favorite part?  Did you like it?

This movie has got to be better than Twilight was, or I'm swearing off books that have been turned into movies altogether.

Running Priorities {GIVEAWAY}

First off.  Friends!  I ran 6 miles this morning, and I haven't felt even the desire to take any ibuprofen or ice my feet!!!!!!  I'm counting this as a huge win.

Most awkward self portrait ever?  Yes.  And, yes, my feet really are the big.

One step at a time.  I'll run again Thursday morning and see how I feel.  Hopefully I'll be able to run a long run on Saturday (but I might not push it to 18 miles like my training schedule calls for).

Dealing with injuries this year has helped me to realize what I want from running.  And what I really want, is THERAPY.

I NEED running in my life.

It calms me down.  It helps me sort things out. It helps me feel accomplished and strong.

I get these feelings whether I run an easy workout with a friend, or a tough workout alone.

I feel this way when I run a race that's fun (like a relay) or if I pull out a BQ Marathon.

But you know what?  Pushing myself to the limits brings injuries.  AND I AM SO DONE WITH INJURIES.

So for now, a 3:30 marathon just isn't in the picture for me.  I will run the Ogden Marathon (come Hell or pinched nerves or ITBS or shin splints), but I'm going to enjoy the journey rather than stress it.

Because running isn't about PRing.  Running is about feeling alive.

I was talking to my friend Holly about choosing priority races, and my priorities look like this:

A:  Relays (Red Rock and Ragnar)

B:  Marathon

C:  Small town 5k's, 10k's, and half marathons.

You've got to choose what is most important and fun for YOU!  Just because everyone is rocking the marathons these days doesn't mean you have to!

So, to celebrate my new found peace in my running journey, I'm giving away a little gift.  TWO readers that want to register for either the Red Rock Relay in Moab on May 12th, or the Zion Relay on September 7-8 will get a gift card to be used for either apparel, or future race fees! 

If you choose Moab- as team captain you will receive a $50 prize.

If you choose Zion- as team captain you will receive a $100 prize.

To enter:


1.  In the comments tell me what race you would like to run and why.
2.  Feel free to show Red Rock a little love by checking them out on Facebook as well.

Winners will be announced Friday, March 23rd.  Must enter by 4PM MST.

Weekly RUNdown

A weekend of rest, deep tissue massage on the foot, and I have high hopes for this week.  The foot isn't 100%, but I didn't expect it to be with only one week off.  I'm running tomorrow morning and we'll go from there.  Hopefully I'll be able to continue my workouts.  Last week went like this:

Monday:  Cycling- 16.6 miles in 1:05 (15.3 mph)
Tuesday:  6 Yasso's.  3:14, 3:17, 3:21, 3:12, 3:13, 3:10.  My goal was 3:17, so I felt really good about that.  The best part?  Breona was able to run all 6 sets right by my side!  Could it be?  Did I find a partner that can keep up with me?! (Ran 6.3 total miles)
Wednesday:  Cycling- 12 miles in 45 min. (16 mph)
Thursday:  Cycling- 24.8 miles in 1:40 (14.9 mph)

All this bike riding has me thinking- is there a duathlon in my future???  My husband would probably freak if he even knew that thought has crossed my mind.

Winner and Miracles

The winner of the Handful Bra giveaway is Jen from Running with the Girls!
Congrats, Jen!  Send me your name, mailing address, and bra size (Wow.  Don't think I've ever asked anyone to tell me that straight up before.) via the "contact me" form on my blog. You are going to love this bra.

Sooooooo, my feet hurt.  I've officially grounded myself from running until I can at least walk without pain.  I'm hoping I can hop back into my training schedule on Tuesday.  For now, I am resting and cycling.

In fact, I just walked upstairs from completing a 1 hour and 40 minute bike ride.  Woah.  Still can't believe that happened.  I figure it would take me that long to run 13 miles, and that's what was on my training schedule for my long run this week.  We'll see if I'm sore in a whole new way tomorrow.

I hope so, because that will make me feel like I did something hard.

I'm still icing, stretching, and- miracle of miracles- I was able to get new shoes.

Y'all should always buy your shoes from a running store.  If you are in Northern Utah, you should go to Salt Lake Running Company.

No lie- I walked into the store with my New Balance running shoes that had 120+ miles on them, no box, no reciept, and told them the shoes were causing me foot pain and I would like to exchange them if I could, and they did!

I almost cried from joy.  I will not be able to take the shoes back that I got in exchange, but that's fine.  I am now sporting my first pair of Nike's.

I ran in these in the store for awhile.  They felt so cushioned and they had a wider toe box than the Asics I was comparing them against.  I hope they will serve me well- I just need to get my foot to heal up first.

I also ended up getting my first set of inserts for arch support (I over pronate) as well as pads to help the metatarsalgia.  I feel like my feet have had a comfort makeover.

So- here's to the best!  And here's to leaving town and not packing my running shoes so that I will be able to keep my promise to myself of NOT RUNNING until next week...

Foot pain?

I stopped by my PT's office to pick his brain yesterday about the problems I've been having with my feet.  He suggested it may be a metatarsalgia or a neuroma- in lay man's terms, pinched nerves.  He showed me some stretches that I should do and doing them just yesterday afternoon made the biggest difference!

Do you have the same problem as me?  Here are some of my symptoms:

• Pain in the ball of my foot- just behind my toes.
• Pain that gets worse when I run and improves when I rest.
• Pain that radiates from the balls of my feet and into my toes.
• Pain that worsens when I flex my feet.
• Increased pain when walking barefoot- especially on a hard surface.  Pain lessens when wearing shoes.

Some of the causes of my pain are:

• Lots and lots of running.  (Duh).
• Change in footwear.
• Footbox that is too small.
• A flexible foot.
• Overpronation.

Now for what you are looking for: TREATMENTS

Although I'm good at hiding things from you- I am not hiding a profession as a doctor.  So, there you go- that's my disclaimer.

If it is actually Morton's Neuroma, then this problem is serious and could require surgery.  I don't believe this is what I have.

For now I will be doing the following:

 I am putting my feet in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes 1-3 times a day.  (As often as I can!).

Elevation for 20 minutes-ish.

Toe and arch stretch.  All you do is pull your toes up as far as you can with your hands.  Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat a few times.

Flex toes.

Pick up blankets with toes.

PT says I should keep running for now and see how the next week or so goes.

I will be getting new shoes and looking into orthotics.  They recommend getting custom orthotics for support for your metatarsal heads (where your toes connect to the ball of your foot), as well as for arch support.

Have you entered my Handful Bra Giveaway yet?

Confidence GIVEAWAY

When I ran my first marathon last September, my friend Nicki openly mocked me for putting on mascara before I ran 26.2 miles. I mean, after all, don't I just sweat it all off by the end of that journey anyway?

Yes. I absolutely do.

 So why do it?

CONFIDENCE. 

 Running is a funny thing. For me, I swear it is 10% physical and 90% mental- I've even been known to mentally give myself injuries because of nerves (or at least make them worse than they are). It's pretty pathetic, but it's also the truth.

When I feel better about myself, I walk taller, I smile bigger, and I run faster.

 Months ago Ali did a giveaway and I was instantly pumped about it- the handful bra! I've mentioned before that I've gone running without my bran and only noticed because I didn't have a place to clip on my iPod. Heck! Boys in my neighborhood used to repeat this rhyme to me:

Roses are red, 

Violets are black, 

Why is your chest 

As flat as your back? 

 Not much has changed since high school- in the "busty" way, anyway. 2 kids later and I feel like I could qualify for reconstructive surgery.

I digress...

Why, hello there terrible form!

HANDFUL. I bought a bra as soon as I found out I didn't win Ali's giveaway, and I have done everything I can to wear it as much as possible.  It's comfortable, cute, and I love that I can wear it and not feel like a ten year old boy!  This bra is also a mastectomy bra, which I think is so important.  All women deserve to feel confident in themselves- no matter what.

I've been wearing my bra since January and I have never had a problem with it.  It fits so well, I've never had problems with chafing (which has been a big problem for me in the past!), and I would feel comfortable wearing it all the time- not just for working out.  I can honestly say that I will never buy a different brand of sports bra.

It is by far the best sports bra I have ever owned, and I am stoked to be able to give one of these awesome bras away to one of you!

Here are a few ways to enter (each entry should be in a separate comment):

1- You gotta give me a confession- this is MANDATORY ;)
2- Be a follower of my blog.
3- Like Handful on Facebook.
4-  Follow them on Twitter.

GIVEAWAY ENDS ON THURSDAY AT 3:30 PM, MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME.

If you can't wait- you can buy one of their pink, nude, or cocoa colored bras at 25% off!  They are making room for new colors this summer, so take advantage while you can.

Weekly RUNdown

***Updates to the family blog!  {The things they say...} and {The last year in the twenties.}.

Hey- remember me?!  Things have been so busy and unfortunately I haven't been able to blog very much.  I've missed you all!

Remember how I felt the week before last?  I'm happy to say that this last week was the complete opposite!  I felt strong, I was happy to run and looked forward to it, I had good company, I felt like I accomplished something- plus all of those other millions of reasons as to why I enjoy running.  The week looked like this:

Monday: Cycling, 11.1 miles in 45 minutes (14.8 mph), ITBS routine.
Tuesday:  5 miles hills, 7:55 pace.  I ran up Lindsey's Hill by myself this time.  I really pushed the pace on the way back down and even reached a sub 6 minute mile.  No foot pain during or after the run.
Thursday:  6 miles, 7:28 pace.  Temp run with 1 mile warm up, and then 5 tempo miles at around a 7:15 pace.  I was feeling super tired towards the end (especially that last mile), but I was still able to finish consistent and strong.  No foot pain before or after run.
Friday:  Cycling, 14 miles in 1 hour (14mph).
Saturday:  16 miles at 8:13 pace.  I felt so great!  Definitely the best run I've had in a long time.  I had several of those "Thank you Heavenly Father for giving me a strong body so that I could be able to run" moments.

I ran two 8 mile loops- the first loop I ran with Jami and Breona and the last loop I ran by myself.  I was able to run 10 miles at or below my goal marathon pace, and overall I ran pretty comfortably (except the last 2 miles- those felt hard).  I had a little bit of foot pain, but nothing bad.  My feet didn't even really bother me for the rest of the day.

Sunday:  BAD foot pain.  I limped around for the first few hours in the day, but then it got better.  It felt a lot better when I was wearing shoes than if I was walking around barefoot.  Ugh.  Felt very discouraged, AGAIN, yesterday.

There's the facts.  I'm just going to move forward doing my best.  Cross train when I need to, run when I can, and hope I can hit the Ogden Marathon.  I'm not sure if it's going to be in the cards for me this year, but oh well!  Can't do anything about it.  I'm just going to run smart and see where it takes me.

Have you ever had foot pain?

Where I'm feeling it is right on the balls of my feet towards my toes.  It's not even just the foot where my toe was jammed several weeks ago.  The toe that is right next to my big toe hurts the most- especially if I try to flex my foot.  I have never had pain like this before while running.  Do you think it could be the shoes????  I've been fighting this problem since I started running in my new trainers.  Will inserts help?  I'm going to a running store tomorrow to talk to them about the problem.

I have something exciting for you!!!  Be sure to check back later today! Here's a hint...

Weekly RUNdown: I'm supposed to run to train for a marathon?

Welp.  This happened last week:

Monday:  Cycling 12.6 mi, 45 minutes (16.8mph)
Saturday:  14 miles at 8:40 pace/mile

Ummmm.....  Let's list some excuses:

• My foot was still bothering me from my 12 mile LR the week before, so I wanted to rest it.
• I came down with a cold last Sunday and didn't feel like doing much of anything unless I was being whined at by a small child had to.
• My mother-in-law was in town from Wyoming and we wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
• NyQuil makes it really, really, really hard to get up in the morning.

Fact of the matter is, I was just not interested in running last week, and the only reason I cycle or strength train is so I can run, so all of that just went away, too.  I was mad at running.  We were on a break!  (Can't you just hear Ross from Friends yelling that in a nasaly voice?)

Good news?

My run on Saturday picked up my spirits- thanks to 3 friends and a some lightly falling snow that did most of the heavy lifting.  I ran with Jami and Breona (who just celebrated her 30th Birthday!  Yeah buddy!) for the first 7 miles, and then picked up my friend Kristen for the last 7.

It made me realize something- I run for fun.  Know what I think is fun?  People.  Right now, at this point in my life, running a 3:30 marathon isn't worth it if that means I have to train alone.

So, I'm training for a marathon- with friends!

For the first time in two months, I feel really excited to run the Ogden Marathon.  I know it will be fun, I know it will be rewarding, and I know I'm going to enjoy every step of my journey along the way.

Here's to a better week this week!

What makes training enjoyable for you?

Confession:

Dallas and I went on a much needed date last Saturday night.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory (which was divine) and we spent the most money than we ever have on dinner- $84.  FOR TWO PEOPLE.

I bought two pieces of cheesecake for myself (and to share with the sister in law) and I made them last for FIVE DAYS.  This has to be a world record.

I've only worked out one time this entire week.  Once!  And I haven't even missed it.  Running is making me angry.

I cried so hard reading this blog this week, that I had snot running down my chin and my husband was worried I would need to be committed.  I also laughed just as hard as I cried at different parts.

I'm pretty sure my kids are the funniest kids on the planet.  Case in point:  "Mom!  I finished all of my chocolate ice cream!  Can I have a treat now?" -Annie

I've been trying, and failing, at only eating one treat/day.  I blame it on the cheesecake.

I haven't been in love with training for a spring marathon- even though I don't mind winter running.  I'm ready for some greenery in my life.

Is it possible to go through withdrawals from a TV show?  Because I'm pretty sure I'm having them since Downton Abbey ended.

Speaking of- I actually started to like Mary towards the end.  Say what?!

I want to trade in my speed for endurance like this guy.

I took a 2 1/2 hour nap on Wednesday.

I have a secret drawer....

New Year's Resolution FAIL

Shhhh!  Don't tell my kids.